The Los Angeles Angels rolled to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Wednesday in spring training action. Jeimer Candelario paced the offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Ryan Johnson turned in a solid outing, working 5.0 innings of 1-run ball with four strikeouts. Both clubs finished with 8 hits apiece in a closely contested battle. The Angels will take confidence from a well-rounded effort on both sides of the ball. Spring training is about building toward the regular season, and this was a step in the right direction.
Key Performers
Jeimer Candelario was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Angels will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Denzer Guzman also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and an RBI, Randy De Jesus chipped in, going 2-for-4, and Donovan Walton added to the attack, going 1-for-4. Multiple contributors at the plate made life difficult for the opposing pitching staff.
On the other side of the diamond, Jake Bauers led the Brewers offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and an RBI day. Luis Rengifo also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Andrew Vaughn added a 2-for-3 with an RBI effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Angels pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Ryan Johnson earned the win after turning in a quality outing, working 5.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits with four strikeouts. He threw 73 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 3.3 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out four. The Angels continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Houston Harding recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Shaun Anderson stood out with 2.1 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Angels struck first, pushing across four runs in the second inning. Brewers struck back with a run in the fifth. Brewers added a run in the seventh. Brewers tacked on a run in the eighth. The Angels made their one big inning count, doing all of their damage in a single frame. Both teams finished with 8 hits apiece, with 3 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 4,673 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Angels will look to build on this positive performance as spring training winds down. With the regular season rapidly approaching, outings like this one provide confidence and continuity for a roster that is rounding into form. Every remaining exhibition game is another chance to sharpen the details before the games start counting for real.